Abstract: A method is provided for transferring a mask pattern on a mask onto each of a plurality of shot areas on a substrate by synchronously moving the mask and the substrate with respect to an exposing radiation flux. The method includes the steps of optimizing run-up distances of the mask and the substrate with respect to each of the plurality of shot areas, determining respective acceleration starting positions for the mask and the substrate for the shot area to be exposed in accordance with the corresponding run-up distances optimized in the step of optimizing, and accelerating the mask and the substrate from the respective acceleration starting positions to respective scanning speeds.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus and method for synchronously moving a mask and a substrate with respect to an exposing radiation flux to project an image of a mask pattern on the mask onto the substrate, includes an alignment sensor detecting the initial rotational angle of the mask relative to the substrate, a mask position detector, a substrate position detector, a calculation unit processing the position signals of the mask and the substrate in accordance with the projection ratio of the projection optical system and the initial rotational angle of the mask relative to the substrate to derive a positional deviation of the mask stage relative to the substrate stage, and a controller controlling the mask stage movement and the substrate stage movement to eliminate the positional deviation.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for projecting an image pattern on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate, including: a body including a projecting optical system through which the image pattern is projected from the mask to the photosensitive substrate; a first stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the mask; a second stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the photosensitive substrate; a measuring device for measuring the position of either one of the mask mounted on the first stage and the photosensitive substrate mounted on the second stage; a vibration sensor for measuring vibration of the body; and a position controller for controlling the position of either one of the mask mounted on the first stage and the photosensitive substrate mounted on the second stage based on a measurement value of the vibration sensor and a measurement value of the measuring device.

Abstract: A coordinate position of a stage for supporting a wafer or a reticle which is driven by a linear motor includes a stator and a mover is measured by a laser interferometer, and a thrust obtained from a deviation between the measured coordinate position and an aimed coordinate position is output to a multiplier. Further, a cosine function corresponding to a phase between the stator and the mover is obtained on the basis of the measured coordinate position and is output to the multiplier. Then, an exciting current is supplied to an armature coil of the linear motor on the basis of an output of the multiplier.

Abstract: A positioning system used, by way of example, for lithography, uses the position of the wafer stage as the trajectory command for the reticle fine stage control circuit. The reticle fine stage position is combined with the position of the wafer stage to generate a synchronous error. The reticle fine stage control circuit uses a Jacobian differential transformation to convert the synchronous error into an positional error for the center of gravity of the reticle fine stage. Thus, any inaccuracies due to measurement errors caused by rotation of reticle fine stage are avoided. A controller filter circuit uses the positional error for the center of gravity to calculate the force on the center of gravity that will minimize the synchronous error. The controller filter circuit includes saturation limited integration behavior that minimizes the settling time. A feedforward loop also generates a feedforward force, which reduces settling time, and is combined with the force signal from the controller filter.

Abstract: A scanning type exposure apparatus includes a mask stage which can move a mask along a predetermined scanning direction; a substrate stage which can move a substrate, onto which a pattern on the mask is to be transferred, along the scanning direction; a fine movement stage which is arranged on one of the mask stage and the substrate stage, and is movable along the scanning direction relative to the one stage; a first measuring device for detecting the position, along the scanning direction, of the fine movement stage; a second measuring device for detecting the position, along the scanning direction, of the other one of the mask stage and the substrate stage; a speed controller for controlling the ratio between the speeds of the mask stage and the substrate stage to a predetermined value while the pattern on the mask is scanning-exposed on the substrate; and a control device for controlling the position of the fine movement stage in accordance with the difference between the position measured by the first mea

Abstract: A scanning type exposure apparatus comprises a mask stage position-measuring unit, a substrate stage position-measuring unit, an arithmetic processing unit, and a control unit. The arithmetic processing unit multiplies results of measurement (WX, WY, W&thgr;) by the substrate position-measuring unit by a conversion vector comprising components containing a magnification of a projection optical system and an angle of rotation between a mask and a substrate to determine a target vector quantity (RX*, RY*, R&thgr;*) of a mask stage. An error vector is determined by subtracting, from the target vector quantity, results of measurement (RX, RY, R&thgr;) by the mask stage position-measuring unit. The controller controls the mask stage so that the error vector becomes zero. The exposure apparatus includes correcting sections for correcting time lags in measurement by the respective position-measuring units. The arithmetic processing unit uses corrected positional information.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus for positioning, for each shot provided on a wafer, a pattern formed on a mask with respect to the wafer and also for exposing the pattern on the wafer includes a wafer stage carrying the wafer and movable stepwise for each shot, a mask stage carrying the mask and movable, a stage control unit for making relative positioning between the wafer and the pattern of the mask and maintaining the relative positioning so that the stage control unit moves the mask stage to make the relative positioning before the wafer stage stops for each shot, and an exposure control unit for performing exposure while the relative positioning is maintained.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus and method for synchronously moving a mask and a substrate with respect to an exposing radiation flux to project an image of a mask pattern on the mask onto the substrate, includes a movable mask stage for holding the mask, a movable substrate stage for holding the substrate, an alignment sensor detecting an initial rotational angle of the mask relative to the substrate, a projection optical system projecting the image of the mask pattern onto the substrate with a predetermined projection ratio, a mask position detector outputting first signals indicating the position of the mask stage, a substrate position detector outputting second signals indicating the position of the substrate stage, a calculation unit processing the first signals and the second signals in accordance with the projection ratio of the projection optical system and the initial rotational angle of the mask relative to the substrate to derive a positional deviation of the mask stage relative to the substrate stag

Abstract: A scanning type exposure apparatus includes a mask stage position-measuring unite a substrate stage position-measuring unit, an arithmetic processing unit, and a control unit. The arithmetic processing unit multiplies results of measurement (WX, WY, W.theta.) by the substrate position-measuring unit by a conversion vector including components containing a magnification of a projection optical system and an angle of rotation between a mask and a substrate to determine a target vector quantity (RX*, RY*, R.theta.*) of a mask stage. An error vector is determined by subtracting, from the target vector quantity, results of measurement (RX, RY, R.theta.) by the mask stage position-measuring unit. The controller controls the mask stage so that the error vector becomes zero. The exposure apparatus includes correcting sections for correcting time lags in measurement by the respective position-measuring units. The arithmetic processing unit uses corrected positional information.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus for scan-exposing the image of a mask pattern on a mask onto a substrate by synchronously moving the mask and the substrate with respect to an exposing radiation flux is provided. The scanning exposure apparatus includes a movable mask stage for holding the mask, a movable substrate stage for holding the substrate, a first detector outputting a first signal indicating the position of the substrate stage, and a second detector outputting a second signal indicating the position of the mask stage.

Abstract: A coordinate position of a stage for supporting a wafer or a reticle which is driven by a linear motor includes a stator and a mover is measured by a laser interferometer, and a thrust obtained from a deviation between the measured coordinate position and an aimed coordinate position is output to a multiplier. Further, a cosine function corresponding to a phase between the stator and the mover is obtained on the basis of the measured coordinate position and is output to the multiplier. Then, an exciting current is supplied to an armature coil of the linear motor on the basis of an output of the multiplier.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus has an illumination optical system for directing exposure light to an illumination area with a predetermined shape on a mask with a pattern for transfer; a projection optical system for projecting an image of the pattern within the illumination area of the mask to a photosensitive substrate; a mask stage for scanning the mask in a predetermined scan direction with respect to the illumination area; and a substrate stage for scanning the photosensitive substrate in a direction corresponding to the scan direction in synchronism with the scanning of the mask. The relative positions of an image plane of the projection optical system and an exposure surface of the photosensitive substrate are changeable in the direction of the axis of the projection optical system and changed in a predetermined cycle when performing the scanning while projecting the image of the pattern of the mask to the photosensitive substrate.

Abstract: A stage device comprises a base, a movable member movably provided on the base, a damping system for giving a damping force to the movable member, a position detector for detecting a position of the movable member with respect to the base, a deviation detector for obtaining a deviation of a position of the movable member from a target position of the movable member on the base on the basis of a result of the detection by the position detector and a damping control system for changing the damping force in accordance with the deviation detected by the deviation detector.

Abstract: A scanning type exposure apparatus includes a mask stage which can move a mask along a predetermined scanning direction; a substrate stage which can move a substrate, onto which a pattern on the mask is to be transferred, along the scanning direction; a fine movement stage which is arranged on one of the mask stage and the substrate stage, and is movable along the scanning direction relative to the one stage; a first measuring device for detecting the position, along the scanning direction, of the fine movement stage; a second measuring device for detecting the position, along the scanning direction, of the other one of the mask stage and the substrate stage; a speed controller for controlling the ratio between the speeds of the mask stage and the substrate stage to a predetermined value while the pattern on the mask is scanning-exposed on the substrate; and a control device for controlling the position of the fine movement stage in accordance with the difference between the position measured by the first mea

Abstract: A reticle is scanned in a predetermined direction relative to an illumination field of a predetermined shape. In synchronism therewith, a shot-area defined on a photo-sensitive substrate (or wafer) is scanned in the opposite direction relative to an exposure field which is optically conjugate to the illumination field. Through these scanning operations, a pattern formed on the reticle is transferred onto the shot-area on the photosensitive substrate. The illuminance of an illumination light is measured during a time period when the illumination field is in an acceleration region and before reaching the shot-area, and the amount of exposure onto the shot-area is controlled based on the results of the measurement.

Abstract: In a projection exposure apparatus wherein a stage is moved in the direction of optic axis when a mask formed with a predetermined pattern is projected by a shutter onto a photosensitive substrate placed on the stage through a projection optical system, the operations of control means for the shutter and control means for the stage are interlocked with each other on the basis of the operational characteristic of the shutter and the operational characteristics (particularly the speed characteristic) of the stage so that the distribution of the existence probability with respect to movement of the photosensitive substrate from the opening operation starting point of time till the closing operation completing point of time of the shutter, with respect to the direction of the optic axis, may assume substantially equal maximum values at at least two locations in the direction of the optic axis.

Abstract: A stage device is provided with a base plate supported by an antivibration device; a table supported by the base plate through a driving shaft in substantially rigid manner; and a first drive system for placing the table in a predetermined position on the base plate. A second drive systems is provided for applying, to the table, an acceleration the same as that of the base plate, in order to correct the relative positional aberration between the base plate and the table, induced by the vibration of the base plate generated when the table is driven by the first drive system.

Abstract: In a projection exposure apparatus wherein a stage is moved in the direction of optic axis when a mask formed with a predetermined pattern is projected by a shutter onto a photosensitive substrate placed on the stage through a projection optical system, the operations of control means for the shutter and control means for the stage are interlocked with each other on the basis of the operational characteristic of the shutter and the operational characteristics (particularly the speed characteristic) of the stage so that the distribution of the existence probability with respect to movement of the photosensitive substrate from the opening operation starting point of time till the closing operation completing point of time of the shutter, with respect to the direction of the optic axis, may assume substantially equal maximum values at at least two locations in the direction of the optic axis.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a substrate to be exposed having a predetermined mark formed thereon includes a stage for supporting the substrate to be exposed thereon, moving means capable of moving the stage in a direction along a predetermined surface, mark detecting means for applying a light beam to the substrate to be exposed and detecting the predetermined mark, position detecting means outputting a position signal conforming to the position of the stage on the predetermined surface, producing means for detecting information regarding rotation of the stage along the predetermined surface and producing an information signal, and correcting means for correcting on the basis of the information signal the position signal when the mark detecting means detects the predetermined mark.